Showing posts with label Bangalore Royal Challengers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangalore Royal Challengers. Show all posts

March 21, 2010

IPL 2010: Match 4 Highlights (RCB vs KKR)

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Indian Premier League (IPL) 2010
Match #4 played on 14 March 2010
Played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders

Royal Challengers Bangalore, once nicknamed as the Test team, had a golden run in 2009 finishing as the runners-up. Kumble's rise to the captaincy seems to be the turning point in Bangalore's success story. On the contrary, Kolkata Knight Riders had two poor seasons, IPL 2008 and IPL 2009. They confused themselves and everyone else by resorting to the multiple captains theory.

Will KKR turn it around this season? Will Bangalore continue its dream run again?

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April 30, 2009

Why Joginder Sharma playing fo Chennai Super Kings?

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Why Joginder Sharma is playing for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2009? I cannot understand the logic behind including Joginder Sharma if you are not going to allow him to bowl. I listed below the contributions of Joginder Sharma so far in the matches played by Chennai Super Kings:

Match #1 Vs Mumbai Indians:
Joginder Sharma's bowling figures 4-0-25-1. He is the most economical bowler of the five bowlers Chennai Super Kings used. Joginder Sharma scored 16 runs off 15 balls and remained unbeaten. I felt that the team management made a mistake of sending Joginder ahead of Thilan Thushara.

Match #2 Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers:
Did not bat. Bowled just one over, gave away 10 runs and accounted for the wicket of Virat Kohli.

Match #3 Vs Delhi Daredevils:
Bowled just one over and gave away 8 runs. Scored 4 runs off 3 balls.

Match #4 Vs Kolkata Knight Riders:
Match abandoned due to rain.

Match #5 Vs Deccan Chargers:
Did not bat. Bowled just one over that went for 14 runs.

Conclusion
It is clearly evident that Joginder Sharma is not in the team's scheme of things. He has bowled just one over in each of the last three matches. If he is not going to be used as a bowler, why should you pick him in the team? It is time for Chennai to sit down and make their strategy clear for the rest of the matches. Further time lost would mean Chennai Super Kings is just adding to the number of the teams. Will they come good against Shane Warne led Rajasthan Royals today?
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April 27, 2009

Flintoff's Injury: Good for CSK?

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Andrew Flintoff has been injured and will not be available for the rest of the IPL 2009 season for Chennai Super Kings. I read that it is a setback to Chennai Super Kings. Is it so? I don't believe it. Yes, Andrew Flintoff is a star; but, he failed miserably in the tournament so far. I personally feel that he did not live up to the expectations. He failed in the bowling department and did not contribute significantly in the batting department either.

Flintoff's Contribution in IPL 2009
In the match against Mumbai Indians, Flintoff returned with figures of 4-0-44-1. His economy rate of 11.0 is the worst among the Chennai Super Kings bowlers. He was sent at No. 4 to help in the chase, but he scored a mere 24 runs from 23 deliveries. Chennai Super Kings' loss can be attributed to one primary reason, Abishek Nayyar's cameo of 35 runs that included three sixes of one Andrew Flintoff over.

He did better in the match against Bangalore Royal Challengers, scoring 22 runs from 13 deliveries and returning bowling figures of 3-0-11-1. But, considering that Royal Challengers failure against almost all opposition, you cannot read much into those figures.

In the match against Delhi Daredevils, Flintoff again became the most expensive bowler from Chennai and finished with figures of 4-0-50-1. AB de Villiers tore him apart in the penultimate over, which produced 22 runs, with a couple of sixes and fours. When Flintoff walked into bat, Chennai Super Kings had a good chance of winning the match. But, his boring 16 runs off 17 balls did not help.

What can Chennai do?
Chennai should take the exit of Andrew Flintoff as positive and relook into their available resources. With Hayden, Albie Morkel and Murali almost secured their place, we need to select one foreign player from Jacob Oram, Makhaya Ntini, George Bailey and Thilan Thushara. It is easier to choose Jacob Oram in place of Flintoff, as he is a better all-rounder of the available four. But, that would weaken the bowling.

Dhoni should also drop Joginder Sharma, who is not really fitting into the scheme of things. With the middle order failing regularly, it would be better to bring in a regular batsman like Murali Vijay and include Makhaya Ntini as a bowler.

My team for today's match against Deccan Chargers would be:
1. Matthew Hayden
2. Parthiv Patel
3. Suresh Raina
4. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
5. Albie Morkel
6. S Badrinath
7. Murali Vijay
8. M Gony
9. L Balaji
10. Murali
11. Makhaya Ntini
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April 24, 2009

IPL 2009: Most Sixes Batsmen List

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IPL 2009 is finally came to life with two exciting matches played yesterday. Chennai Super Kings had come very close to Delhi Daredevils' imposing total of 190 runs. Knocks from AB de Villiers, Dilshan, Hayden and Raina kept the stadium alive. The second match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders went one step ahead by producing the first tied match of IPL. Yusuf Pathan and Shane Warne's favourite bowler Kamran Khan earned Rajasthan Royals their first win during the "Super Over", which is used to break the tie between the teams.

Here, I am going to list the batsmen with most sixes in IPL 2009. It is an indication of the aggression from batsmen and this list gives you an idea of the most aggressive batsmen of IPL 2009. The list contains the top five leading batsmen in terms of number of sixes hit:

  1. Adam Gilchrist (Deccan Chargers) - 24

  2. Matthew Hayden (Chennai Super Kings) - 21

  3. Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings) - 20

  4. Rohit Sharma (Deccan Chargers) - 17

  5. Yuvraj Singh (Kings XI Punjab) - 16

Results are updated until Match #52
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April 22, 2009

IPL 2009: Player of the match list

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The following is the list of man of the match/ player of the match awards given for each game in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2009. The player of the match award recognizes mainly the player's contribution to the winning team. I personally feel that the man of the match award is lopsided and batsmen are the favourites to the award. The bowlers get the award only when they perform exceptionally well. Let us see how it goes in IPL 2009. Here is the list:

1Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai IndiansSachin Tendulkar (MI)
2Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan RoyalsRahul Dravid (RCB)
3Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI PunjabDaniel Vettori (DD)
4Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight RidersRP Singh (DC)
5Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super KingsMuthiah Muralitharan (CSK)
6Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight RidersChris Gayle (KKR)
7Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan RoyalsMatch abandoned due to rain
8Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Deccan ChargersAdam Gilchrist (DC)
9Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super KingsAB de Villiers (DD)
10Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight RidersYusuf Pathan (RR)
11Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI PunjabRavi Bopara (KXIP)
12Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai IndiansPragyan Ojha (DC)
13Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight RidersMatch abandoned due to rain
14Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi DaredevilsTillakaratne Dilshan (DD)
15Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan RoyalsKumar Sangakkara (KXIP)
16Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan ChargersHerschelle Gibbs (DC)
17Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai IndiansSachin Tendulkar (MI)
18Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan RoyalsYusuf Pathan (RR)
19Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight RidersMark Boucher (RCB)
20Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai IndiansKumar Sangakkara (KXIP)
21Deccan Chargers vs Delhi DaredevilsDirk Nannes (DD)
22Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan RoyalsSuresh Raina (CSK)
23Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai IndiansJP Duminy (MI)
24Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI PunjabYuvraj Singh (KXIP)
25Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan RoyalsYusuf Pathan (RR)
26Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi DaredevilsShadab Jakati (CSK)
27Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight RidersMahela Jayawardene (KXIP)
28Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai IndiansJacques Kallis (RCB)
29Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan ChargersMahendra Singh Dhoni (CSK)
30Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan RoyalsGraeme Smith (RR)
31Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight RidersGautam Gambhir (DD)
32Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai IndiansRohit Sharma (DC)
33Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan RoyalsAmit Singh (RR)
34Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI PunjabMatthew Hayden (CSK)
35Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai IndiansAshish Nehra (DD)
36Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI PunjabMahela Jayawardene (KXIP)
37Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan RoyalsS Badrinath (CSK)
38Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai IndiansJP Duminy (MI)
39Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight RidersAmit Mishra (DD)
40Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan RoyalsDwayne Smith (DC)
41Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight RidersRoss Taylor (RCB)
42Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai IndiansHarbhajan Singh (MI)
43Deccan Chargers vs Delhi DaredevilsRajat Bhatia (DD)
44Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers BangaloreRoss Taylor (RCB)
45Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan RoyalsShane Warne (RR)
46Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI PunjabBrett Lee (KXIP)
47Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai IndiansMatthew Hayden (CSK)
48Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight RidersRohit Sharma (DC)
49Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI PunjabYuvraj Singh (KXIP)
50Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan RoyalsAB de Villiers (DD)
51Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight RidersBrad Hodge (KKR)
52Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi DaredevilsJacques Kallis (RCB)
53Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals
54Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab
55Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians
56Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Deccan Chargers

Update after Match #52:
Jacques Kallis became the eleventh player to win two man of the match awards so far in IPL 2009 tournament.

Update after Match #50:
Matthew Hayden, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh and AB de Villiers became the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth player, repectively, in IPL 2009 to win two man of the match awards so far in the tournament. Yuvraj Singh also became the first player in IPL to record two hat-tricks of wickets. As he said himself in the match presentation, Yuvraj Singh may have to start bowling more than batting.

Update after Match #45:
Ross Taylor became the sixth player in IPL 2009 to win two man of the match awards so far in the tournament.

Update after Match #39:
Mahela Jayawardene and JP Duminy became the fourth and fifth player, respectively, in IPL 2009 to win two man of the match awards so far in the tournament.

Update after Match #32:
Rohit Sharma became the second player in IPL 2009 to pick a hat-trick of wickets. His spell of 4 for 6 and knock of 38 runs at almost a run a ball earned him the man of the match.

Graeme Smith also became the first player from Rajsthan Royals to win the man of the match award other than Yusuf Pathan. In all the three previous occasions, Yusuf Pathan was the man of the match from Rajasthan Royals side.

Update after Match #26:
Yusuf Pathan became the first player in IPL 2009 to win three man of the match awards so far in the tournament. Yusuf Pathan has won all the man of the match awards that went to Rajasthan Royals.

Update after Match #20:
Kumar Sangakkara became the third player in IPL 2009 to win two man of the match awards so far in the tournament.

Update after Match #18:
Yusuf Pathan follows Sachin Tendulkar to lift two man of the match awards in IPL 2009 for Rajasthan Royals.

Update after Match #17:
Sachin Tendulkar became the first player in IPL 2009 to win two player of the match awards.
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April 21, 2009

IPL 2009: Highest Individual Scores

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The following is the list of top five individual scores in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2009. The short format of the game provides an opportunity for batsman to play match-winning knocks, like Brendon McCullum's 150+ score in the opening game of IPL 2008. While much have been said about the Twenty20 game as youngsters paradise, we had seen some solid performances from old warhorses, like Sachin Tendulkar, Matthew Hayden and Rahul Dravid. I will be updating this list regularly during the progress of IPL 2009.

  1. 105* - AB de Villiers, Delhi Daredevils against Chennai Super Kings

  2. 98 - Suresh Raina, Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals

  3. 89 - Matthew Hayden, Chennai Super Kings against Kings XI Punjab

  4. 84* - Brendon McCullum, Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore

  5. 84 - Ravi Bopara, Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Movements in the Top Five Individual Scores
Results are updated after Match #52: No further changes. With the tournament nearing the end, it looks like AB de Villiers will remain the only player with a century.

Results are updated after Match #45: No changes to the high individual scores list.

Results are updated after Match #43: Kolkata Knight Riders captain Brendon McCullum finally provided a good performance that puts him in the fourth position in the above list.

Results are updated after Match #40: No changes to the high individual scores list.

Results are updated after Match #39: Matthew Hayden moved into the top five scores with a brilliant knock of 89 against Kings XI Punjab. AB de Villiers still remains the lone centurion in IPL 2009.

Results are updated after Match #32: Graeme Smith has shown glimpses of getting back into form with a powerful 77 that ensured Rajasthan Royals post the first 200+ score in IPL 2009. On the other hand, Morne van Wyk's knock could not revive Kolkata Knight Riders fortune in IPL 2009.

Results are updated after Match #29: No changes to the high individual scores list.

Results are updated after Match #28: No changes to the high individual scores list. AB de Villiers still remains the only centurion in IPL 2009.

Results are updated after Match #26: No changes to the high individual scores list.

Results are updated after Match #24: Suresh Raina moves to the second spot after his match winning knock of 98 against Rajasthan Royals. Brad Hodge moves into the fourth spot with his 73 that almost pulled off a victory against Mumbai Indians.

Results are updated after Match #20: No changes to the high individual scores list.

Results are updated after Match #18: No changes to the high individual scores list.

Results are updated after Match #17: Herschelle Gibbs and Sachin Tendulkar stormed into the top five thanks to their match-winning knocks against Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Rahul Dravid falls out of the top scores list.

Results are updated after Match #15: Tillakaratne Dilshan moves into the top five after powering Delhi Daredevils to victory against Bangalore Royal Challengers. Three of the top four scores had come against the bottom placed Bangalore Royal Challengers. Matthew Hayden is out of the top five individual scores now.

Results are updated after Match #13: Ravi Bopara moves into the second position after his match winning knock of 84 against Bangalore Royal Challengers. Sachin Tendulkar is pushed out of the top five highest scores.

Results are updated after Match #10: AB de Villiers moves to the top of the leading individual scores with an unbeaten century against Chennai Super Kings. Rohit Sharma drops out of the top five leading scores.

Results are updated after Match #8: The match-winning knock by Deccan Chargers' skipper Adam Gilchrist moves him to the top of the individual scores in IPL 2009. Gilly's teammate Rohit Sharma also moved into the top five displacing Chris Gayle.

Results are updated after Match #7: Chris Gayle moved into the fourth position based on his match-winning performance against Kings XI Punjab. Herschelle Gibbs drops out from the top five individual scores. There are no changes to the top three scores yet.
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IPL 2009: Leading Wicket Takers

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The following table shows the top five leading wicket takers in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2009 held in South Africa. I will update this list of best bowlers regularly as the IPL 2009 tournament progresses. As you all know, the leading wicket taker will be presented with a Purple cap, to signify that he is the best bowler of the IPL tournament. The purple cap will be passed on when the leader of the table changes. The current leading wicket-taker always wears the purple cap.


Bowler Matches Total Wickets Average Economy
R P Singh
Deccan Chargers
162318.13
6.98
Anil Kumble
Royal Challengers Bangalore
162116.525.86
Ashish Nehra
Delhi Daredevils
131918.216.78
Lasith Malinga
Mumbai Indians
131817.336.30
Pragyan Ojha
Deccan Chargers
151819.336.50


History of Purple Cap in IPL 2009:
Anil Kumble> RP Singh> Lasith Malinga> Yusuf Abulla> RP Singh> Lasith Malinga> RP Singh

Movements in the Top Five Bowlers
FINAL UPDATE: RP Singh won the purple cap with 23 wickets and like IPL 2008, the purple cap holder comes from the champion team. If it was Sohail Tanvir for Rajasthan Royals last year, it was RP Singh for Deccan Chargers this time.

Results are updated after Match #52: RP Singh is the purple cap holder, followed by Delhi's impressive Ashish Nehra. It looks like Lasith Malinga will not be able to finish with the purple cap, as Mumbai Indians has just one more game to play before they go home. Anil Kumble is also among wickets and has an impressive economy rate of 5.89 runs per over.

Results are updated after Match #45: Lasith Malinga is back at the top of the wicket-takers list and gets the purple cap from RP Singh. While RP Singh and Lasith Malinga are tied with 16 wickets each, the Sri Lankan has a better average and economy rate. Shane Warne, the master spinner, has also entered the best bowlers list with a three wicket haul against Mumbai Indians that fetched him his first man of the match in IPL 2009.

Results are updated after Match #43: RP Singh is still having the purple cap, but is closely followed by Lasith Malinga and Ashish Nehra. There is only one change in the list, Pragyan Ojha replacing L Balaji at the bottom of the table.

Results are updated after Match #40: RP Singh extended his lead at the top with another wicket in yesterday's match against Rajasthan Royals. No other change in the list.

Results are updated after Match #39: RP Singh remains at the top followed by Lasith Malinga, who is probably the most destructive bowler of IPL 2009. Ashish Nehra, Yusuf Abdulla and L Balaji are at third, fourth and fifth positions respectively.

Results are updated after Match #32: RP Singh turned in a good bowling performance against Mumbai Indians, which puts him on top of the bowlers list. He took the purple cap from Yusuf Abdulla and that makes it a wonderful week for RP Singh, as he was also included in the Indian squad for the T20 World cup to be held in England next month.

Results are updated after Match #29: Not much changes except that Balaji and Ojha swapped places since Balaji has a better average.

Results are updated after Match #28: Lasith Malinga went wicketless for the second consecutive match, which is clearly affecting the performance of Mumbai Indians. Yusuf Abdulla remains at the top and there are no changes to the top five bowlers list.

Results are updated after Match #26: RP Singh takes back the second spot while Yusuf Abdulla still holds on to the purple cap.

Results are updated after Match #24: Yusuf Abulla took the purple cap from Lasith Malinga, following his four wicket haul against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Lasith Malinga, for the first time in IPL 2009, went wicketless in a match. Balaji took the thir spot after his four-wicket haul against defending champions Rajasthan Royals.
Results are updated after Match #20: Lasith Malinga continues at the top, bowling almost unplayable spells. His bowling analysis in the tournament so far reads 14.2-1-57-11. Amazing right? He picks almost one wicket every over. His every wicket costs just 5.18 runs and his economy of 3.97 would have been respectable even in the ODI format. At the bottom of the table, Anil Kumble makes a comeback to the top five bowlers list.
Results are updated after Match #18: No changes to the top four bowlers in the above list. Munaf Patel enters into the top five replacing Chennai Super Kings' L. Balaji

Results are updated after Match #17: RP Singh finally lost the purple cap to Lasith Malinga. They are tied on 9 wickets each, but Malinga has a far better average and economy rate.

Results are updated after Match #15: RP Singh still remains at the top, with Yusuf Abdulla, Lasith Malinga, Pragyan Ojha and Daniel Vettori completing the top five bowlers list.

Results are updated after Match #10: RP Singh remains at the top, while Balaji and Vettori takes the second and third spot. Balaji was the only Chennai Super Kings bowler who came with his heads high in the match against Delhi Daredevils. Praveen Kumar and Murali are out of the top five.
Results are updated after Match #8: RP Singh moved up to the top and took the purple cap from Anil Kumble. RP's teammate Scott Styris also moved into the top five, thanks to his three wicket haul against Bangalore Royal Challengers. Lasith Malinga, having played only one match so far, drops out of the top five bowlers list.
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IPL 2009: Leading Run Scorers

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The following table shows the top five leading run scorers in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2009 held in South Africa. I will update this list of best batsman regularly as the IPL 2009 tournament progresses. As you all know, the leading run scorer will be presented with an Orange cap, to signify that he is the best batsman of the IPL tournament.

BatsmanMatches Total Runs Average Strike Rate
Mathew Hayden
Chennai Super Kings
1257252.00144.81
Adam Gilchrist
Deccan Chargers
1649530.93152.31
AB de Villiers
Delhi Daredevils
1546551.66130.99
Suresh Raina
Chennai Super Kings
1443431.00140.45
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Delhi Daredevils
1441841.80122.58

History of Orange Cap in IPL 2009:
Rahul Dravid> Matthew Hayden> Rahul Dravid> Matthew Hayden

Movements in the Top Five Batsmen
FINAL UPDATE: Matthew Hayden wins the orange cap after holding on to it for almost the entire tournament. He is the only batsman in IPL 2009 to score more than 500 runs. Adam Gilchrist, another Australian, led the Deccan Chargers to the championship and finished second in the table. The disappointing semi-final losers Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings have AB de Villiers, Suresh Raina and TM Dilshan in the top five list.

Results updated after Match #52:Matthew Hayden is still on top, in spite of not playing in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders, which Chennai Super Kings lost in the final delivery. AB de Villiers has reduced the gap between the first and second to around 100 runs. Gilchrist and Raina are just being AB. JP Duminy is on the fifth place, but he may not be able to hold on to that position for long as Mumbai Indians will be playing just one more match in the tournament.

Results updated after Match #45:Matthew Hayden is running away with the orange cap. Hayden currently has a lead of more than 150 runs over his nearest rival Adam Gilchrist. Suresh Raina moved up one place to the third position. At the bottom of the table, Sachin Tendulkar replaced team mate JP Duminy for the fifth position.

Results updated after Match #43: Adam Gilchrist and AB de Villiers moved into the second and third positions respectively. Adam Gilchrist's powerful hitting almost took Deccan Chargers to victory against the leaders Delhi Daredevils. After quite some time, Suresh Raina falls off the second spot. But, he can move up there if he puts up a commanding show in tonight's game against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Results updated after Match #40:No changes to the list after this match between Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals, which was won by Deccan Chargers rather convincingly.

Results updated after Match #39:Matthew Hayden is running away with the orange cap, with more than 100 runs ahead of the second placed Suresh Raina. JP Duminy of Mumbai Indians moves up one slot into the third position. Yuvraj Singh and AB de Villiers complete the list.

Results updated after Match #32: Not many changes in the list. JP Duminy of Mumbai Indians comes into the fourth position.

Results updated after Match #29: Matthew Hayden and Suresh Raina retain their top rankings as they led Chennai Super Kings to another convincing victory against Deccan Chargers.

Results updated after Match #28: Brad Hodge finished just 16 runs behind the leader Matthew Hayden, following his two knocks in the seventies. The pity is that Brad Hodge cannot ensure Kolkata win in spite of his valuable knocks. Jacques Kallis is playing consistently for the resurgent Royal Challengers Bangalore and he finishes at No. 4 in the list.

Results updated after Match #26: Mathew Hayden and Suresh Raina continue to remain at the top and their good show helped Chennai Super Kings to win their match against Delhi Daredevils.

Results updated after Match #24: Mathew Hayden and Suresh Raina, both from Chennai Super Kings occupy the top two slots. The next two spots are with Mumbai Indians, Sachin Tendulkar and JP Duminy.

Results updated after Match #20: Mathew Hayden, Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers remain at the top. Kumar Sangakkara moves into the fourth spot pushing Sachin Tendulkar one spot below.

Results updated after Match #18: Mathew Hayden and Herschelle Gibbs remain at the top. AB de Villiers takes the third spot following a powerful half-century against Rajasthan Royals. Sachin Tendulkar and Adam Gilchrist moves down one spot. Rahul Dravid, out of action, is the player to miss out on the top five batsmen list.

Results updated after Match #17: Mathew Hayden still holds the orange cap. Rahul Dravid, who is back in India for personal reasons, has dropped down to fifth position. Herschelle Gibbs, Adam Gilchrist and Sachin Tendulkar moves up following their strong performances in the matches played yesterday.

Results updated after Match #15: Mathew Hayden, Rahul Dravid and Ravi Bopara remain in the top three positions. AB de Villiers and Kumar Sangakkara moves into the two remaining slots to complete the list of top five best batsmen of IPL 2009.

Results updated after Match #13: Mathew Hayden and Rahul Dravid still hold on to the first and second position respectively. Ravi Bopara, Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs moves into the third, fourth and fifth position respectively.

Results updated after Match #10: Mathew Hayden took back the orange cap from Rahul Dravid, after a stunning half-century against Delhi Daredevils. AB De Villiers moved into the third position after scoring the first century of IPL 2009 that propelled Delhi Daredevils to an imposing total against Chennai Super Kings. Chris Gayle moves back to the fourth position pushing Rohit Sharma down one place. Adam Gilchrist and Virat Kohli drops out of the top five.

Results updated after Match #8: Rahul Dravid, thanks to his aggressive 48 against Deccan Chargers, moves to the top and takes back the orange cap from Mathew Hayden. Rohit Sharma, Adam Gilchrist and Virat Kohli moves into the top five replacing Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Gayle and Yuvraj Singh. All the three players scored scintillating half-centuries in the match.

Results updated after Match #7: Chris Gayle and Yuvraj Singh moves up the list and replaces Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Andrew Flintoff at No. 4 and No. 5. There are no changes to the top three yet.
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April 20, 2009

Chennai Super Kings Team for Today's Match

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Chennai Super Kings team lost their opening match against Mumbai Indians by 19 runs. Today, they will be facing the upbeat Bangalore Royal Challengers, who are leading the points table.

Chennai Super Kings' Error in Judgement
In my opinion, Chennai Super Kings made the first major mistake by not playing spinner Mutthiah Muralidaran. Ashwin, selected as a spinner, did not get a single over to bowl. It is clearly evident that the spinners are playing vital roles in each team in IPL 2009. Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Daniel Vettori and Pragyan Ojha have all played match-winning/ match-turning performances in this tournament. Shane Warne, though in the losing team, bowled an inspiring spell against Bangalore Royal Challengers. So, Murali has to come in to the team, most probably replacing Ashwin, immediately.

Exclusion of South Africans
For reasons outside the game, it seems Albie Morkel could not be included in the first match. Another South African Makhaya Ntini was also not included. It is time to include one of them into the Chennai Super Kings team. Their experience and local knowledge should be handy.

Batting Order
I was not happy with the batting order. Andrew Flintoff was sent in at No. four. With due respects to Freddie, he is not suited to the role. He should be coming at No. 6 or No. 7. Dhoni should promote himself up the order, either at No. 3 or at No. 4. Chennai Super Kings also made the mistake of sending Joginder Sharma ahead of Thilan Thushara in the first match. Thushara is a better batsman and has good international exposure compared to Joginder Sharma. Thushara played some good knocks against the Indians in one day matches.

Openers
While Mathew Hayden is the key opening batsman, Parthiv Patel is a make-shift opener and his skill will be tested. The mode of his dismissal in the first match has to be looked at closely. Since Dhoni is not going to don the gloves, Parthiv Patel is a certainty in the team. Should he open the batting? Why not include and try a much better player like Murali Vijay?

Probable Team
I prefer to have the following team and batting order against Bangalore Royal Challengers:

1. Mathew Hayden
2. Murali Vijay
3. Suresh Raina
4. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
5. S. Badrinath
6. Andrew Flintoff
7. Albie Morkel
8. Parthiv Patel (Wicket-keeper)
9. Joginder Sharma
10. Manpreet Gony
11. Muthiah Muralidaran
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April 15, 2009

Royal Challengers: Leading Run Scorers

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Rahul Dravid was blamed for the failure of Bangalore Royal Challengers in the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League (IPL 2008). Rahul Dravid took the blame in spite of the fact that he was the leading run scorer for Bangalore Royal Challengers.

The list of leading run scorers of Bangalore Royal Challengers in IPL 2008 is as follows:

1. Rahul Dravid - 371 runs, 14 matches, Average: 28.53
2. Mark Boucher - 225 runs, 10 matches, Average: 32.14
3. Jacques Kallis - 199 runs, 11 matches, Average: 18.09
4. Virat Kohli - 165 runs, 13 matches, Average: 15.00
5. Ross Taylor - 149 runs, 4 matches, Average: 37.25

Ross Taylor has the best average for the Royal Challengers at 37.25. The low averages of all the batsmen speaks volumes on why Royal Challengers failed to provide any challenge in IPL 2008. Every other team has at least one player with a batting average of more than 37.25
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April 14, 2009

Format of IPL 2009

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DLF IPL 2009IPL 2009, similar to IPL 2008, involves the following eight teams:

1. Bangalore Royal Challengers
2. Chennai Super Kings
3. Deccan Chargers
4. Delhi Daredevils
5. Kings XI Punjab
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
7. Mumbai Indians
8. Rajasthan Royals.

Group Stages
In the group stages, each team will be playing 14 matches, meeting each opponent team twice. A win will fetch two points and a tie/ no result will fetch one point. At the end of the group stage, four top-placed teams will qualify for the next level.

Semi-finals/ Finals
The top four teams will meet in the semi-finals, which will be a knock-out match. The winners of the two semi-finals will proceed to the finals. The finals will decide the winner of the IPL 2009 tournament.

Number of Matches
Group stage: 56 matches (18 April 2009 to 21 May 2009)
Semi-finals: 2 matches (22 May 2009 and 23 May 2009)
Finals: 1 match (24 May 2009)
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IPL 2008: Most Aggressive Batsman

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IPL 2008 started off with a big match in which Brendon McCullum plundered as many as 158 runs in the twenty overs and remained not out. He had been at his best in the match against Bangalore Royal Challengers. It was unfortunate that he could play only 4 matches in the entire IPL tournament.

The following is the list of aggressive batsmen in IPL 2008, based on their strike rate. Strike Rate is the number of runs scored per 100 balls. In preparing the list, I have selected only players who have scored at least 100 runs in the tournament. This criteria is included to ensure that the list contains players who consistently plays aggressively. For example, if some one plays just one delivery and scores a boundary or six, he would end up at the top of the list with a strike rate of 400.00 or 600.00, which would be meaningless.

1. Brendon McCullum, Kolkata Knight Riders - 188 runs, 92 balls, SR 204.34
2. Virender Sehwag, Delhi Daredevils - 406 runs, 220 balls, SR 184.54
3. Ross Taylor, Bangalore Royal Challengers - 149 runs, 81 balls, SR 183.95
4. Yusuf Pathan, Rajasthan Royals - 435 runs, 243 balls, SR 179.01
5. Michael Hussey, Chennai Super Kings - 168 runs, 100 balls, SR 168.00

In my opinion, I would give the "Most Aggressive Batsman of IPL 2008" title to Yusuf Pathan, because he has been able to keep his strike rate intact for 16 matches. Sehwag has played 14 matches while McCullum, Taylor and Hussey have each played only 4 matches.

Just for record, Umar Gul was the player with the highest strike rate in IPL 2008. Umar Gul scored 39 runs from 19 deliveries, amounting to a strike rate of 205.26.
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April 13, 2009

IPL Matches Featuring Deccan Chargers

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Deccan Chargers was one of the highly expected teams to lift the trophy before IPL 2008 began. Deccan Chargers had some big hitters in Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi, Andrew Symonds and Herschelle Gibbs. Add to that names like VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Scott Styris and Chaminda Vaas. You have an excellent mix of international players. But, unfortunately, nothing worked well for the Deccan Chargers throughout the IPL 2008 season. They won just two games and finished last in the season ending points table.

Deccan Chargers have added Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Smith to their IPL 2009 list. They will hope to do better this time around and at least come up competitive in matches. The following is the list of IPL 2009 matches involving Deccan Chargers:

  1. April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders v Deccan Chargers

  2. April 22: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers

  3. April 25: Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians

  4. April 27: Chennai Super Kings v Deccan Chargers

  5. April 30: Delhi Daredevils v Deccan Chargers

  6. May 02: Rajasthan Royals v Deccan Chargers

  7. May 04: Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings

  8. May 06: Mumbai Indians v Deccan Chargers

  9. May 09: Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab

  10. May 11: Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals

  11. May 13: Deccan Chargers v Delhi Daredevils

  12. May 16: Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders

  13. May 17: Kings XI Punjab v Deccan Chargers

  14. May 21: Deccan Chargers v Bangalore Royal Challengers

IPL 2009 Matches Featuring Other Teams
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April 09, 2009

IPL Matches Featuring Kolkata Knight Riders

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Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Sourav Ganguly, finished sixth in the previous edition of IPL held in India. The Knight Riders got off to an unbelievable start by beating Bangalore Royal Challengers by a whopping 140 runs in the opening match of IPL 2008. The first twenty overs was a perfect screen raiser for a grand event like IPL. New Zealander Brendon McCullum, who opened the innings with Sourav Ganguly, went on to score 158 runs from just 73 deliveries. The unbeaten century included 10 fours and 13 sixes.

The performance that followed might have disappointed the franchise owners Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Jai Mehta. The team managed only 11 points from the remaining 13 games and failed to make it to the semi-finals stage.

IPL 2009 has already started in a controversial manner for Kolkata Knight Riders. The coach John Buchanan has proposed a new theory of using multiple captains, which did not go well with Sourav Ganguly. Finally, the franchise owners have to step in to alleviate any further damage by rephrasing "multiple captains" into "strategists". We need to wait and see how well Kolkata Knight Riders perform in South Africa. The following is the list of IPL 2009 matches involving Kolkata Knight Riders:

  1. April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders v Deccan Chargers

  2. April 21: Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab

  3. April 23: Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals

  4. April 25: Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings

  5. April 27: Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians

  6. April 29: Kolkata Knight Riders v Bangalore Royal Challengers

  7. May 01: Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders

  8. May 03: Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders

  9. May 05: Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders

  10. May 10: Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils

  11. May 12: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Kolkata Knight Riders

  12. May 16: Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders

  13. May 18: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders

  14. May 20: Rajasthan Royals v Kolkata Knight Riders

IPL 2009 Matches Featuring Other Teams
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April 07, 2009

IPL Matches Featuring Mumbai Indians

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Mumbai Indians have two veterans in one day internationals, Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya. In spite of that, they could not qualify for the semi-finals of IPL 2008. They finished one point below Delhi Daredevils, the last team to qualify for the semi-finals. Mumbai Indians lost their first four matches, came back strongly to win six consecutive matches, but finally lost their way when they lost the next three matches.

Mumbai Indians has some big names in Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan. The following is the list of IPL 2009 matches involving Mumbai Indians:

  1. April 18: Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings

  2. April 21: Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians

  3. April 25: Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians

  4. April 27: Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians

  5. April 29: Mumbai Indians v Kings XI Punjab

  6. May 01: Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders

  7. May 03: Mumbai Indians v Bangalore Royal Challengers

  8. May 06: Mumbai Indians v Deccan Chargers

  9. May 08: Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians

  10. May 10: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians

  11. May 12: Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians

  12. May 14: Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals

  13. May 16: Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians

  14. May 21: Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils

IPL 2009 Matches Featuring Other Teams
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April 03, 2009

IPL Matches Featuring Bangalore Royal Challengers

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Bangalore Royal Challengers, who won just four games in IPL 2008, would like to come back strongly in IPL 2009. The franchise owner, Vijay Mallya, did his part by spending huge money to get England all-rounder Kevin Pietersen. Rahul Dravid, who led the Royal Challengers in IPL 2008, will handover the captaincy to Pietersen. When Pietersen returns to England to fulfil his national duties, Jacques Kallis will take over the captain's role.

The following is the list of IPL matches involving Bangalore Royal Challengers:

  1. April 18: Rajasthan Royals v Bangalore Royal Challengers

  2. April 20: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings

  3. April 22: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers

  4. April 24: Kings XI Punjab v Bangalore Royal Challengers

  5. April 26: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Delhi Daredevils

  6. April 29: Kolkata Knight Riders v Bangalore Royal Challengers

  7. May 01: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kings XI Punjab

  8. May 03: Mumbai Indians v Bangalore Royal Challengers

  9. May 07: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals

  10. May 10: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians

  11. May 12: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Kolkata Knight Riders

  12. May 14: Chennai Super Kings v Bangalore Royal Challengers

  13. May 19: Delhi Daredevils v Bangalore Royal Challengers

  14. May 21: Deccan Chargers v Bangalore Royal Challengers

IPL 2009 Matches Featuring Other Teams
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April 02, 2009

IPL Matches Featuring Chennai Super Kings

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Chennai Super Kings TeamImage by SJ Jagadeesh via Flickr

Chennai Super Kings finished as the second best team in IPL (Indian Premier League) 2008, the inaugural edition of the most successful cricket tournament. Chennai Super Kings, under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, was highly inconsistent. They started off in great fashion, but had to struggle in the end to reach the semi-finasl. Will they do better in IPL 2009, to be played in South Africa? 

The following is the list of matches involving Chennai Super Kings, who will begin their campaign on the first day of the tournament:

  1. April 18: Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings

  2. April 20: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings

  3. April 22: Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings

  4. April 25: Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings

  5. April 27: Chennai Super Kings v Deccan Chargers

  6. April 30: Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings

  7. May 02: Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils

  8. May 04: Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings

  9. May 07: Kings XI Punjab v Chennai Super Kings

  10. May 09: Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals

  11. May 14: Chennai Super Kings v Bangalore Royal Challengers

  12. May 16: Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians

  13. May 18: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders

  14. May 20: Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab

IPL 2009 Matches Featuring Other Teams

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IPL Matches Featuring Rajasthan Royals

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IPL -- Cherleaders of Rajasthan RoyalsImage by rochakchauhan via Flickr

IPL (Indian Premier League) 2009, the much awaited cricket tournament will kick-off in South Africa on 18th April 2009. The tournament will feature eight teams, comprising of international cricketers all around the world and budding youngsters from India.

The following is the list of matches involving Rajasthan Royals, the winner of the first edition of IPL held in India last year:

  1. April 18: Rajasthan Royals v Bangalore Royal Challengers

  2. April 21: Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians

  3. April 23: Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals

  4. April 26: Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab

  5. April 28: Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals

  6. April 30: Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings

  7. May 02: Rajasthan Royals v Deccan Chargers

  8. May 05: Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals

  9. May 07: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals

  10. May 09: Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals

  11. May 11: Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals

  12. May 14: Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals

  13. May 17: Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils

  14. May 20: Rajasthan Royals v Kolkata Knight Riders

IPL 2009 Matches Featuring Other Teams
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May 13, 2008

Indian Premier League (IPL) Format

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The inaugural version of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has taken off with flying colours. The 2008 edition is half way through. The doubts are over and the tournament is certainly a success and a hit among the cricket-crazy Indian fans.

The IPL Teams
There are, in all, eight teams fighting it out for the glory in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The teams in the IPL are as follows:
  1. Bangalore Royal Challengers, led by Rahul Dravid
  2. Chennai Super Kings, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni
  3. Delhi Daredevils, led by Virender Sehwag
  4. Hyderabad Deccan Chargers, led by Adam Gilchrist
  5. Kings XI Punjab, led by Yuvraj Singh
  6. Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Sourav Ganguly
  7. Mumbai Indians, led by Shaun Pollock
  8. Rajasthan Royals, led by Shane Warne

The IPL Format
Every team will meet the other team in the IPL league twice, once at home and once away. So, each team will play 14 matches in total. The whole tournament will have 56 matches. The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals stage. The winners from the semi-finals will clash in the finals.

What can be changed in the IPL?
Chennai Super Kings, led by Mahendra Singh DhoniWith each team playing a substantial number of league matches, I do not see any point in having a knock-out stage in the later half of the tournament. The most consistent team should win the IPL tournament. This can be ensured only by rewarding the top team in the league stage. At the knock-out stage, even a poor team could go on to win the tournament, if they can have two good days. The best team could go home empty handed.

I can understand the IPL organizers thinking as they want a big stage to finish off the tournament. But, at the end of the day, if consistent teams do not win then the tournament would lose its shine. Since this is the first edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), few more changes could be made in the following years. If the knock-out part can be knocked out of the tournament, then it would be great.

Whatever happens, it is very clear that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is going to be a super-hit for many years to come. Wishing all the best to IPL teams. Special support to Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings, who are almost certain to make it to the semi-finals stage at this moment.
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